Thursday, September 15, 2011

Anyone aware of the history of photography doesn't have to be told how far we have come. From the "Camera Obscura" to film and now digital, it has provided a steady growth of expression with newer techniques and tools pregress. For those who pursue its medium a new forms of art or looks emerge with every advance .

Across its brief 150 years apprx, it has struggled in its acceptance as art, coming into its own buyer's scene within the last 20 years or so. It became the realm of masters who were capable of handling the equipment along with its technical procedures and could successfully express and produce fine photographic art. For the most part, it took years of experience.The struggle of films,chemistry,and technique kept the masses at a great distance. Enter digital and with it a new door opened allowing new artists who might not have be here had media remained the same. What did remain for a long time however, was the tool.

A new tool is born..the Cell Phone: Tool for the masses..

Unobtrusive, at hand,capable of not only processing an image and tweaking its look, but immediately publishing it from within and on the spot, it gives birth to a whole new world of potential artists, some of which have probably never been photographers before. Every person I know has at some point shown me his "Pocket Images" some good, some bad, all fun but mostly random . In their hands, an instant photographer; In others... an artist's expression, and these are some of what can be done through their eyes and experience taking this new tool to higher level :

In my recent trip to New York, as usual I took my camera bag packed with lenses. Not as usual, they remained that way..packed.

I had a whole new world, an entire studio right in my pocket. Camera,darkroom,publishing house,file folders, mini computer and not to forget "can also make a phone call."

Things looked different to me and once again, I felt like I did when I was in the darkroom...thrilled to see them appear.

The other plus side was that my actions drew no one's suspicion nor questions as to what and why I was doing what I was doing. These are some of my Iphoneography series... This one to the right is "While having a Beer"